Mayakashi
by AnimeXisXmyXstyle
Summary: Truth. Deception. Bliss. Pain. Love. Hate. Itachi is the sole pure blood survivor of the once great Uchiha clan. I am the one who must gain his respect.
1. One

Chapter 1

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I obviously don't own Naruto.

Summary:

Lies. Deception. Pain. Rumors. Love. Hate. Itachi is the sole pure blood survivor of the once great Uchiha clan. I am one who must gain his respect.

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**Mayakashi**

I am strong, for I was weak. I am weak, for I am strong. I am a descendent of the Kurushii clan. I believe in deception. I believe in seeing beyond. I believe in my gift of dokusho. I live in the moment, and plan for the future. My heart beats on my clan's ancestors' accord. My life is not mine own to live as I choose. It is for the sole purpose of bettering the future, no matter the cost.

It is in dying that we are freed from our clan's purpose. Only then can we choose our own way. No obstacle, no person, no feeling can stand in the way. There is no disobeying. There never was and there never will be. We are who we are and the future is what it is.

I am different from those around me. I have no goals and no aspirations. I do not play and I do not kid. We are unique, but we are one. We are a clan working as one whole, to accomplish an eternal deed. I have come to accept this.

When we are old enough to comprehend we are sent to a sacred pool of water. From the pool we pluck a stone. On that stone is inscribed our future. It is one of two, for there are only two paths of my clan. There is the path of the replicator, which is to grow learning the history of the clan and when reaching womanhood or manhood, marrying and multiplying the numbers of the clan through parenthood. The other is the path of the warrior, which is to grow learning the history of the ninja and fighting for the clan.

When I was of age, I was brought to the pool. From that pool I plucked a stone on which warrior was inscribed. Therefore, I was taught the ways of war and deceit.

When I reached womanhood, I was marked with my future. A single scar remains on my right cheek…a scar left by a slash of a sacred sword that marked me.

Four years ago I was given a part of my life mission. On the parchment bestowed upon me, I was told to follow a specific S ranked criminal, and to get him to respect me. That specific S ranked criminal is the sole pure blood survivor of the Uchiha clan. My clan and village sent me away, not to return until my mission is completed…or until I die in pursuit of it.

That all is what brought me to where I am standing now, in the noon sun with two strong chakras in my imminent path. I skid to a halt as the two disperse to two different directions. I know I cannot keep speed with the one to my right side, so I follow the one to my left.

I follow the cloaked man until he stops in a small clearing. I latch onto the tree limb beneath me as I study the man's movement. He turns to my direction and I flatten my body against the tree limb. He pulls a large weapon from his back and casts away his bamboo hat.

"Come out, girl. I know you're there." A huge grin appears on his face. I lift myself from the branch. As expected, I breathe. I slide one of my katanas from my back and grip it in my left hand. The man chuckles. "So who's going to make the first move?"

"The real question is who is going to make the first wrong move," I state. The man shrugs his weapon to one hand and brings a finger to his chin.

"Hah, I guess you're right," I place my katana's blade at my side, parallel to the tree trunk below me. Holding it tightly in place with my hand turned.

"So, you or me?" I ask raising one of my eye brows in his direction. He scoffs as he lifts both hands to his weapon and shifts it over his shoulder, ready to strike. "Fine then—my choice."

I leap from my spot in the trees and pull my katana in a horizontal motion to the man's neck. He blocks and pushes me behind him. I latch onto a tree swing myself around so I am on the top of the branch. Then I place my katana in the tree limb. I grab another katana off my back and push myself toward him again. He blocks my attack and pushes me to the sky, attempting to swipe at my legs. I propel myself backward and flip onto another tree limb—directly across from my last landing spot.

I place my katana into the new tree limb and grab my third from my back. I again fling myself at the large man and he blocks easily. He swings his weapon around horizontally and I block it by pulling the fourth katana from its sheath on my back. I dig one of the swords into the ground and swing myself around it to get to the patch of trees to the man's left. I lift the sword out of the ground at the last second and land on the tree limb successfully.

I place the third katana into the tree limb and jump toward the man for the forth time. He chuckles as he blocks again effortlessly. "You'll never win with this sh*t!" he shouts as he swings at me in the air. I pull a kunai from my side and throw it in his direction. He changes his weapons path to block the kunai and plunge to the trees to the right of the man.

I put the forth and final katana into the tree and the man notices the four katanas in his four compass directions. "What now? You stick another one in the middle?" He laughs. "You seem to be out of swords to play with, girl!"

I loosen my stiff shoulders as I grip two kunai from my weapon pack, one in each hand. "Still playing with puny knives, I see," the man says and I take a deep breath. Then I thrust myself in the direction of the man but stop halfway and throw the two kunai to my right and left. They land in the lush grass and the earth below it.

He laughs evilly before rushing toward me. "Stupid little girl!" I bring my finger to my mouth and nick it with my teeth. I bend to the ground and slide a trail of my blood across the kunai in the ground.

"Dokusho!" I yell and my weapons come to life. A pattern of circles and characters on the once empty grass. The katanas are connected with a string of black light, just as the kunais are connected. The man skids to a stop and I once again try to loosen my shoulders and arms. I shake my arms before turning to the giant of a man. "You're on my chessboard now."

I flick my right hand and the katanas come to life, all thrusting in the man's direction. The katanas create a bubble of the black light around them in a circle. Then the kunai go toward the man, only to disappear. Seconds later, millions of scars appear on the man's body and his eyes widen.

"What the—!" The man is cut off by the katanas flying to his place and embedding themselves in his skin. He drops his weapon to the ground before his knees follow. I hear him swear under his breath and begin to walk to the man.

"Tell me where the other is." He looks up at me with a blood covered face but does not respond. "Tell me where the other is. Tell me where Uchiha, Itachi is!" An explosion of flames hits a part of the black light wall and I stutter backward, the explosion affecting my body. A second cloaked man appears and he turns toward me, his eyes not visible through his cloak.

I clutch at my lungs as I fall to my knees. This man's presence…just this man's presence weakens me. He is him. He is my obstacle. I release my hands from my sides and put them in front of me so that I am in a formal bow. "Uchiha, Itachi."


	2. Two

**Chapter 2**

The man stands horribly still, and the air around him also becomes still. My katanas, kunai, and the shield all fall to the ground. The silence is finally broken when the big man coughs and stands himself up before cursing again. "How'd you do that, Itachi?"

The man keeps his eyes on me as he responds, "I did not." I raise myself to my knees as the still man faces me, black eyes now visible because of the blowing wind.

"I wish to join Akatsuki," I say. The giant man turns his face to the other and stares at him.

"No," the Uchiha responds before turning away. The giant man follows him and they begin to walk in the other direction. Make him respect me. I grab the katana closest to me and stand to my feet, throwing it straight to the Uchiha's back. He turns before it can hit him and catches it between his index and middle finger. I let out a small gasp and he launches it back at me.

I fall to a crouch and lift my head to see him. I blow a puff of air out of my mouth to try to move my dark bangs out of my way. The Uchiha is gone and I raise myself and lift another katana from the ground.

A kick connects with my rib cage and my body flies backward, sliding on the earth below. I push myself up and put my katana out in front of me. He appears to my right side and I lift my katana horizontally to block his foot. He flicks my sword out of my hands with his hand. I step back and clench my hands into fists.

He is faster than me, I observe as he sends a series of kicks and punches at me. Our fists connect and I get sent backward again. He is stronger than me too. I wiggle my fingers and stretch my arm to my side.

I pluck a kunai out off of the ground and sent it at him. He dodges it by simply stepping to the left. "Dokusho," I whisper as I bite my thumb. I let the crimson specks drop to the green grass before looking up at my opponent. He lifts his bamboo hat and throws it to his side. I quickly study his face and features, memorizing every angle of his face.

He studies me also until I feel my arm get prickly and tighten my hand into a fist. I hate the feeling of blood loss. I'll have to use him against himself. The black light appears around him and me. It covers us as if we were the snow in a snow globe. All the light of the sun is blocked, making everything around us pitch black.

My arm feels as if it is on fire, when I get close to the Uchiha. I pull up my leg and release it as his face. My leg is caught my strong hands and all I see is a flash of two crimson eyes in the darkness. He spins my foot and I hear a cracking sound from my foot as a sharp pain fills my leg. I make a slight hissing sound before spinning around and aiming my fist at his face.

The Uchiha drops my first leg and grabs my second leg, spinning me around him and throwing me at the wall I created. I crash into it and moan quietly. He's better in the dark than me. "Dokusho," I murmur. The wall falls, making me fall onto my back. It's then when I realize just how much blood I've lost. The world is hazy. I slowly stand myself up and wince when I stand on my left foot. Something is broken, I think as I lean most of my weight on my right leg.

He just stares at me as I wipe the blood from my finger on my shirt. I form hand signs and a flash of icicles rush toward him. He forms hand signs at lightning speed before a huge ball of fire escapes his mouth and wipes out my icicles.

Better at ninjutsu too. I cannot win, I realize as the man runs toward me. The only thing left is genjutsu…and that is his clan's specialty. I force my hands to form another hand sign and whisper, "Dokusho." A genjutsu caused fog falls upon the area and the sun turns black.

Thousands of katanas fly to the Uchiha. He evaporates before any one of them can touch him. A foot connects with my back and I feel a deafening crack. F*ck. I cover my mouth with my hand as I let out a soft scream.

I turn around and he is gone again. I can't keep up. He moves so fast that he looks as if he teleports. A fist connects with my face and my body crashes straight to the ground. I blink blood out of my eyes. I try to push myself off the ground with my arms, but the blood loss is taking its toll. My already hazy vision gets black splotches in it. I try g to blink them away, but they stay whether my eyes are open or closed.

I catch a glance of the Uchiha standing above me before my vision goes completely black. My body is still somewhat conscious when his partner lands on the ground beside him and me. His partner kneels down and looks over me.

"You must have broken a rib for that much bleeding," his partner says with a chuckle in his voice. He chuckles and touches the blood on my side.

"Three," the Uchiha corrects. His partner laughs and stands.

"You have no mercy, Itachi. That's what I like about you," he says. I struggle to do anything—legs, an arm, even a finger. I have lost control of my body. "She sure can deal with pain, though."

"Are you done flattering it so we can leave?" The Uchiha's voice cuts. "We still have a mission." His partner pulls his sword over his back and sighs.

"I need to get some ointment for my cuts." They begin to walk away and I struggle to speak.

"Wait," I breathe out. The footsteps stop. "I'll do anything…anything at all. Just take me with you." The footsteps start again and I feel my heart speed up. I have failed, failed so miserably. My mission was to get the Uchiha to respect me and I can't even get him to think of me more than an "it."

I sigh as I lose feeling in my arm and legs. At least this is an honorable way to die. I am dying trying to fulfill my life mission. There is nothing more honorable than that. My stomach lurches and I am barely able to move my head to the side to spit out the vomit. I hate vomit, I think as I black out.


	3. Three

**Chapter 3**

A thumping noise enters my ears. Thump. Thump, thump. The pounding is so intense I squeeze my eye lids tightly and try to breathe. My throat is dry and cracked, causing me to cough. The thumping quiets down and that's when I notice it is my heart. It's still beating. I raise my left arm automatically and pain surges through it.

I am an easy target. I clench my fist and ignore the pain that shoots through me. I slowly sit myself up and open my eyes. They feel as if weights are holding them down. The walls look as if they are made of earth, yet the room is lit by many lights on the ceiling. Electricity in a cave?

I struggle to stand but manage to stand on both of my feet, wincing when I stand on my left. "Might not want to be doing that, miss." I turn quickly and face a man with graying blond hair pulled back into a small tie. I instinctively grab for my katana on my shoulder. It's not there, I sigh. Of course it's not there, who would leave someone armed?

The man studies my jumpy state and turns to a table. "There're several lethal criminals in the area." My eyes widen and I step forward. "Who are you? Where am I?" I pause before stepping closer. "Who are they?"

The man laughs dryly. "I am doctor Otto," he says before gesturing to the door behind me. "They are members of the Akatsuki." My heart beat fills my ears again and I cannot help but look at the door.

"Am I prisoner?" I ask the man. I walk up to see what he's working on. He has a dropper in his right hand and a plastic container in his left. He places the drops of the red substance into the container before turning his head to me.

"For now, miss, you are my guest," he tells me as he struggles to send me a soft smile. After a few seconds he gives up and sighs, running a hand through his hair. I look down at my hands. I am a prisoner. But I am here! I am alive, with the Akatsuki no less!

The door creeks and Dr. Otto's body tenses. He's a prisoner here too. I turn around to see a figure in the door way. He motions with his hand for me to follow before turning around and walking away. I follow him down a dark tunnel until we stop at a large bolder covering the frame of a room. The man creates hand signs and places his hand flat on the boulder. It moves itself upward and the man goes into the dark room. I stagger at the door before entering the room as well.

"Kurushii, Kawatta," says a dark and masculine voice. My heart beat pounds in my ears as I scan the darkness for another figure. I cannot find him. "Daughter of Daisuke and Kishi Kurushii, user of the dokusho, and ninja of the fire country. " His tone was not praising but knowing and powerful. I discreetly try to loosen my shoulders and arms.

"Why would someone of your status and rank wish to join the Akatsuki?" I wiggle my fingers as I come up with an excuse. "As you must know, when I reached womanhood I was given my life mission," I say hesitantly. The man that brought me here is not moving. "I got tired of listening to their stupid commands. So I left."

"Do you have a problem with authority?" the dark voice asked me. "No," I tighten my hands into fists. "Only the authority of my clan. I left and came here because I believe in what you are fighting for." The man chuckles darkly and my skin crawls on my arms.

"And what is that?" I stop myself from biting my lip and stepping back. I need to be strong.

"You wish to bring peace—a different kind of peace. A peace only brought by power and fear; the only kind of true peace." My voice does not waver as I speak and I stand my ground, staring into black nothingness.

"You may not join Akatsuki. It's not just some open invitation club," I feel my heart fall. "However, we have our own reasons to keep you here. So, for now you are our prisoner. You will do everything you are told. If we feel at any time that we need to kill you, we will not hesitate."

I force myself not to let my head fall and break down there. This is going to be more difficult that I imagined. They won't even let me join akatsuki. I'm going to have to prove myself to them.

"Itachi," the not visible person says and my heart skips a beat. "Take Kawatta to where she is going to stay." The dark figure moves the boulder out of the way again and slips out of the room. I turn from the dark room and follow behind him into the darkness of the akatsuki hide out—my temporary home.

My room consists of a bed and a small closet. I walk in and sit myself on the bed. The Uchiha shuts the door and I hear a lock click. This is day one…day one of being a prisoner in the akatsuki hideout. This is day one of being in the same area as the key to my life mission. This is day 1,464 of trying to accomplish that life mission.

I pull my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them and laying my head on my knees. This is another test, another obstacle in my path. That is it, yet I feel so vulnerable. I am in a mountain somewhere with a group of sadistic criminals. My life mission is to get one of those sadistic criminals to respect. As hard as I try, I cannot stop but wondering why someone's mission would be such a thing. How do I accomplish such a thing? By being sadistic myself? By killing?

A chill runs down my neck to my toes. At what cost am I supposed to complete this mission? At the cost of my family, my village, my life? What sins must I commit to finish this?

A fresh tear runs down my face. What will I do after this? I have been gone from my home for four years. Four very long years of searching through countries, looking for a criminal. What good can I possibly be accomplishing by doing this?

My heart aches in my chest. The heart can only take so much. After years of pain and struggle, it stops beating. I don't have that problem, I think trying to lighten my own mood. My problem is that my heart beats too much and too fast. My blood cannot keep up with it.


	4. Four

**Chapter 4**

The lock clicks open and I raise my eyes to the culprit. "I-I was told to come here and check on the condition of your health," Dr. Otto stammers as he looks over my shaken state. "I suppose a different time will be better." He opens the door and stammers out.

"Wait," I mumble as I lift my head up to him. "Don't leave me alone here—not now." The doctor shuts the door and places his medical kit by the door. He sits beside me and awkwardly tries to put a comforting hand around my miserable form.

"I-I'm just…I'm just…so confused," I tell him as more tears fall. "Everything used to be so simple."

"Life has a way of only giving us stuff we can handle. It seems impossible now, but you will overcome it." The room goes silent.

"By the way, I never did ask you your name," Mr. Otto says.

"Kurushii, Kawatta."

"Well Kawatta, it is nice to meet you," he says with his attempt of a smile.

"You too, Mr. Otto." The room once again goes silent and my thoughts linger on our last subject.

"What if I don't want to overcome it?" I respond. "Will I still overcome it even if I don't want to?" Mr. Otto sighs beside me.

"It is when we give up that we truly lose. By losing we are letting everything our clans have worked for be destroyed. We are abandoning our loved ones for our own selfish needs." I look up at Mr. Otto, whose eyes are digging into the wall.

"Mr. Otto—" I begin. He turns and grabs my shoulders in his arms.

"Never—never let that happen!" he says as he shakes me. "Never give up trying, Kawatta!" Mr. Otto, as if just noticing his hands on my shoulders, shakes them off and calms his breathing. "You never know who it affects when you choose."

"Okay," I manage to squeak out. Mr. Otto looks at me seriously again.

"Promise me—promise me you won't." I look up into his grey eyes and with a tear stained face reply, "I promise, Mr. Otto. I promise."

A lock clicking awakes me from my endless sleep. Time holds no value here. It could have been months, years even, and I would not know. "Get up." I respond immediately, assuming a standing position. Itachi stands emotionless in front of me and walks out of the room. I follow, unsure of what is going to come. Except for sleeping, I haven't done anything in a long amount of time. I have not even been given food.

I clutch my stomach as it threatens to complain. There is no need for that. It is a hindrance and one of the only things I cannot control. I look to the man in front of me. His pace is perfect, not faltering in the slightest. Suddenly I am in an open field, trees surrounding the large field; such that would make a person feel claustrophobic. I thank kami that I am immune to such negligible things.

He turns to me, his lips barely moving as he speaks. "Fight me." I assume a fighting stance, my limbs throbbing. My body has still not healed from the last battle. Next thing I know, Itachi is gone. I lift my hand up just in time to block a powerful kick to my abdomen. The kick pushes me back and I dig my heels into the ground to stop from flying.

I pull his foot around to throw him at a tree but he flips and pushes off the tree with his feet, not being scratched. I huff and clutch my stomach. Damn it, stomach!

"The day you beat me," A voice whispers in my ear. "is the day you will receive food again." My breath hitches and my stomach tightens. I bite my lip as I swing to kick him. But he is already gone.

I spin around as I put my index and middle finger to my wrist, attempting to tap at my chakra. Nothing. They must have drained me of it. Itachi appears at my side, throwing a series of well timed punches, and a plan forms in my head.

I block the punches but then he sends a kick at me. It lands on my right side and sends me flying back into a tree. I pull myself off the ground and jump out of the way right before the trees fall where I had stood seconds prior. I look up to Itachi to see him forming a fire ball.

I mentally grown as I calculate what I'll have to go through to stop the fire ball from hitting me in sufficient time. I pull my hair up and tie it tightly with a ribbon from my wrist. This is going to hurt. I knick my wrist with my tooth, causing blood to surge out. Then I bring the cut to my upper to stomach, to my chakra core.

I hiss as the chakra begins to flow. Itachi sends the fire ball in my direction and I lift my hands, already forming hand signs. A large wall of ice forms in between the gigantic fire ball and myself. Pain surges through me as I leap toward Itachi.

He blocks my punches and kicks easily, shoving them off as a simple nuisance. I form hand signs with my left hand, sending a rock shower toward him. My chakra glands begin to twitch as what little chakra I had begins to ware out.

He blocks them with another large fire ball. Attack me, damn it! He sends a shower of ice needles in my direction, followed by another one of his fire balls. I hide my satisfaction as the area around me gets destroyed and my body gets catapulted to the wreckage behind me. Smoke surrounds me and the newly found pain in my side gives me the adrenaline to continue.

I bring my pricked wrist to right behind my left ear. Here goes nothing. I form hand signs with my left hand and black marks begin to form on my wrist, crawling their way up my hand to behind my ear, where they are tucked away from sight. A tinge of chakra twitches in the marks, but not nearly enough to even send a simple shadow clone.

I leap out of the cloud and meet Itachi who sends me to the ground, pounding his heel into my stomach. My eyes widen as my stomach lets out a low but hearty growl. My cheeks flare in embarrassment. A small knowing smirk forms on his face.

"You're a jerk," I mumble to him and he digs his heel into my broken ribs. I hiss as I feel the soreness which had earlier turned to numbness as the kind doctor had visited me.

"You're hungry," he says taunting me. I harden my face as I bring my hands to his ankle, my blood smearing to his skin.

"I'll die if you don't feed me soon." He chuckles darkly.

"I told you I would feel you as soon as you beet me." I sigh and give in, letting my hands drop to my sides.

"That's not going to happen any time soon," I admit honestly, abhorring the words as they come out. The weight shifts off my ribs and I blink up, dumbfounded. He outstretches an arm to me and I sheepishly take it, biting my lip as pain shoots through me like needles.

"You need to recognize those superior to you," Itachi responds to my quizzing expression. He walks in front of me, and I follow behind, sure to show that I do respect those more powerful than myself.

My stomach growls as the plate of food is set in front of me. My mouth waters and I can practically feel the drool forming at the edge of my mouth. Where has my self control gone? Itachi sits in a wooden chair at the edge of my room, watching my every move. I eat the food slowly, composing myself as best I could.

"Why are you watching me?" I ask before taking another bite of the seemingly delicious food. Any person in their right mind would be utterly disgusted. But I, for one, had not eaten in kami knows how long.

"Orders," was the only reply I got. I look down at the plate and ignore common courtesy, digging into the food as if I am a wild animal. Kami, I have gone crazy. When I finish I place the plate on the desk beside me and Itachi orders me to sleep. Easier said than done.

The room becomes dark and silent, and I struggle with sleep. Never have I failed a mission. I will not start now. I just need to get him to respect me, right? What exactly does that include? I need specifics. What am I to do to make him respect me?

I bring my hand to my head, loathing the headache that is forming at my temples. My body can't heal itself on exhaustion. I begin to reach for the mark behind my ear but stop myself. That thing will do me no good now. I need a strategy. I need one. But I can't seem to think in this state. I need sleep.

"Go to sleep," Itachi hisses and I squeeze my eyes shut. Does he know I am trying to plan? I wonder just how much he knows. He's so mysterious. I know so little about him. How am I ever supposed to finish this mission?

Weeks go by, tauntingly torturous weeks. Itachi wakes me up before dawn each day, and trains me far past noon. When the sun begins to set he takes me inside the base to eat in my room. He'll leave me and I remain by myself till the next morning. Dr. Otto has visited me a few times and bandaged me up. Apparently Itachi has rebroken my ribs four times now. Lovely, ay?

"Your chakra system is still so messed up. Your chakra core cannot distribute the chakra to the rest of your body." I sigh as I pull down my shirt and lay back on the bed.

"I've never felt exhaustion such as this. Itachi works me to the brink of death. I swear he's trying to kill me." Dr. Otto laughs awkwardly. It's obvious he is terrified of every member of akatsuki. Granted I've only met like three of them. Technically two if you count seeing and knowing who they are.

The door opens, revealing an impassive Itachi. Dr. Otto scoots off the bed and exits the room in a rush. I look up to Itachi as he sits on the wooden chair in the corner.

"Bed. Now." I sigh as I lay down and the room becomes dark. I have decided to just be myself and open up a tad bit more to the Uchiha. I need him to trust and respect me. Sleep comes earlier than expected and I relish in the fact that I am falling asleep easier. Is it that I'm not as on edge as I used to be? Is it that my entire being is getting used to being around Uchiha? In this odd place where days are like clouds passing in the sky? Trivial and unimportant?


	5. Five

**I'd like to thank all of you that review, favorite, and subscribe to this story. **

**It means the world to me!**

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**Chapter 5**

"Get up. Now." I tiredly roll over and rub my sleep filled eyes.

"I've finally gotten more than two words out of you," I kid. Itachi scoffs as he leans closer to me.

"Must I cut off your tongue to get you to be silent, woman?" he asks darkly. I feel my muscles cringe, but proceed.

"What good would I be to you if I were speechless?" I say coming closer defiantly. "If you so prefer, I can take it out myself." He pulls away and a dark smirk forms on his face.

"I do so prefer." A smirk forms on my face.

"I have accomplished my self-given mission of making you say more than two words." Itachi sighs as he leads me out of the room.

Power is starting to surge through my veins again. My chakra seal is slowly working. What the akatsuki did was block all my chakra points, making it so no chakra could pass through my body. Therefore, disallowing me from using any form of jutsu and bringing me to physical exhaustion.

What I did by slicing my wrist and forming a seal, let me body to have at least one form of moving chakra. The chakra has been forming in the spot behind my ear, waiting, itching to be released. I can feel the fire pulse through my body. The want…the desire. I must only touch it for it to release. And what a mistake that would be! I have not yet reached maximum capacity, and certainly am not ready to face Itachi.

My body is healing, and Itachi seems to be going easier on me. The reasons are beyond me, but the progress I have made is encouraging. When I finally finish my life mission…will I be able to do what so ever I please? What do I want to do?

I have thought so long of just this that I do not even know what to do with myself when I am finished. How will I even leave here when I am finished? Certainly they won't just let me go.

"Kawatta," Itachi's voice warns and I hasten my pace to catch up to him. I need to stop getting so easily distracted. Before I know it we are in the dreaded woods again and Itachi is bounding for me, aiming for lethal blows.

I skid to the right as he sends a kick toward me. I have found over these weeks…months…years…however long I've been here…that the best way to block against Itachi is not to be where he is kicking. There's no way to safely block against someone as powerful as him. Someone whom with a single kick can break three of your ribs. Trust me, I know this for certain.

Itachi reaches and grabs at my long brown hair, throwing me to a tree. My back collides and I hiss. Good kami, this man has no mercy! I stand up just in time to duck away from another kick. He pins me against the tree, a kunai to my neck.

"So much for going easy on me," I complain, trying to ignore the awkwardness of the situation. "One can always hope."

His body is so close to mine, I can feel his body presence mix with my own. Itachi brings his mouth to my ear, whispering taunts. "So much for being a great Kurushii."

I slouch against the tree. Must he always bring up my family name? I bite my lip and look up to him. I do indeed respect him. But how will I ever be able to gain the same from him? He brings his hand to my face, cupping my cheek and I gasp at the contact. His smug smirk appears on his face. He's toying with me!

He moves his hand to my neck and lets it rest in my hair. I deftly pull a kunai from his weapons pouch as he continues to mock me. "The life of a ninja is not fit for a woman."

I plummet the kunai into his side and his eye brows contort as he groans. I attempt to get away as he grabs for the weapon in his side. Unluckily for me, his hand brushes behind my left ear. Joy, ay?

I roll to the side as the power starts to seep through my veins. Man, how I've missed having large amounts of chakra. He effortlessly pulls the kunai out of his side and sighs at me, obviously annoyed. His face goes blank as he notices my chakra levels. I see my plan has finally been set into action.

I unleash a number of hand signs without difficulty and send a dark shadow over the ground. It covers over fifty meters around us. I slice my wrist and bring it to my closed eyes, letting the crimson liquid flow. When I open my eyes the blood is gone and my blood line is activated.

Itachi's chakra appears bright red against a black and white background. I leap at him. He dodges to the left and the ground breaks beneath him, sending him into a black hole. He reappears to the side of me and I attack again. He dodges my kick and a black hole appears above him, sucking up his katana.

Another appears above me and the katana falls into my outstretched hands. I better hurry, I think as I look at my hand. Or I'll die from blood loss. I sure do lose a lot of blood, I observe.

Itachi is watching my every move, I notice. He's trying to figure it out. I run to attack Itachi again and he grabs my hair and spins my around before throwing me at a tree. Good kami this man likes throwing me at trees!

A black hole appears behind me and I reappear behind Itachi. He turns and I plunge the katana into his right side. I cringe as I hear the cracking of his ribs.

Wait, why should I cringe? Why should I care about this man who tortures me and taunts me? I don't care! All I care about is my life mission. Once I finish that I will be able to what so ever I wish.

I pull the katana back out and slip into yet another black hole. Itachi's face remains blank even as he falls to one knee. My heart throbs. How badly is he injured? Is he hiding it from me?

He stands back up quickly and throws a kunai in my direction. I duck and chuck the katana in his direction. Then I disappear to his left, throwing a kunai that had recently been left on the ground. I turn to his backside and run to land a kick to his vulnerable back. He blocks the kunai and turns to the katana, pushing it aside. It falls through a black hole and appears behind him as he turns to me. Itachi turns to see it but is unable to react fast enough. The katana stops right before making contact with his back, falling into a black hole.

Itachi's face changes slightly but I am unable to understand it in time when I am thrown into a strange reality. The world around me becomes black and white and oddly inverted. Where am I? Suddenly I am upon a wooden stake and Itachi is standing before me, completely unharmed.

"What do you fear most?" he asks me as a dark, sadistic smile forms on his face. My pulse quickens and my lungs struggle for air. Surely this is not the same Itachi I have spent so much time training with. Indeed he is harsh and perhaps even mean, but never unnecessarily cruel. My fears begin to show in front of me involuntarily, as if on a screen.

"I-I fear…" I cannot finish my sentence as it appears on the screen. My worst fear—my only fear. Most would assume death is the ultimate fear and end. However, I would much rather such an honorable and simple fate than dishonor. My whole life is based on honor, dignity, and purpose. If you take that away from me you take away me. I cannot live in a world that does not have those things. Strip me of my honor, take away my dignity, and remove my purpose. That is my deepest, darkest fear. And at this very moment, the last person I would want to know this is watching, as if experiencing it all himself.

I cringe and pull my arms around me, the tree and bonds no longer holding me back. I feel utterly helpless, utterly vulnerable. I don't like the feeling. I don't want to be worthless. I can't be worthless. I am nothing if I am not the best! If I am not a prodigy, if I am not respected I have nothing—a pointless life which should end rather than go on.

Itachi's dark and penetrating gaze falls on me and I look into his crimson colored eyes. I step back and tighten the grip around myself. "Go away! Leave me alone!" I scream as I tear my eyes from his gaze. My self-control, my confidence, and my knowledge, seemingly stripped from my very core. I scream in fear as he slowly gets closer to me and his red eyes meet with my green ones once again.

I cringe and tears start to spring at my eyes. How will he ever respect me? How will I ever finish it? Can't he just let me win this? Does he know what will happen if I do not complete my mission? The worst kind of dishonor. Itachi comes closer to me and suddenly I am backed against a wall. I fall down and clutch my hands to my legs. Right before Itachi is going to attack me, the reality blacks out and I wake up with sweat pouring off my face, in a completely black room.


	6. Six

**Mayakashi**

My heart is once again pounding in my ears. Kami, you can hear me from miles away! I try to roll to my side, but find the action unfeasible. I hiss as pain contorts in the back of my head. I slowly lift myself up and notice the Uchiha in the corner of the room, watching me. I huff. I'm not one to pout—ever for that matter. But kami, he was cruel! I know I should expect that from him…an S ranked criminal. However, how can he do that after I stop from hurting him just seconds before? If I had not stopped the kunai, it surely would have gone through him. If not killing him, then seriously injuring him.

"Up," the Uchiha's voice commands above me. I lift myself complete up off of the bed, afraid of the consequences. I follow sullen behind him. My clothes still have my blood caked on them. How long has it been since I showered? He lead me to the dreaded woods and I attempted to get into a fighting stance; my body aching everywhere. My stance is completely off. It's lopsided and my arms aren't close enough to protect my body.

I look up and Itachi is already gone. Pain erupts at my side and I fall to the ground, not having enough strength to either block his attack or to get myself back up. Itachi places his ninja sandaled foot on my still broken—thanks to him not letting them heal fully—ribs. I hiss as the pain starts to become unbearable. I look up to him, seething.

"Damn it!" I fume. "What is the point of this? What could you possibly be gaining from this?" Itachi's face stays emotionless and he pulls me up, nearly yanking my arm from its socket. He then pulls me close to him, placing a kunai at my back so I can not worm away.

"I am destroying everything that is important to you," he says as he leans close to me and my heart begins to thud loudly at his words. "I _will_ strip you of your honor…take away every ounce of your so called dignity…and leave you with no purpose or reason to live." He's…he's sadistic! I push my hands against his chest, attempting to be as far away from him as possible without implanting a kunai into my back.

"You can't do that—you can't take them away," I say breathy. "They're not in your reach. No one can take them away without my consent." Itachi laughs darkly, and I look to his chest, trying to find anything to look at but his dark and terrifying face.

"Ah, but I can," he says and pauses, letting his words sink in. "When I am done with you, you will be nothing but a hollow shell of your former self." Never had I been so scared of something—so utterly terrified of one human being. He lapses his hold on me and I fall crashing to the ground, my head spinning and heart racing. I look up to look at him and he is already walking away.

It is then that I notice that the sun was setting. I look over the woods beside me and shiver. It's really…creepy. I inch away form it, not being able to do anything more in my current condition. I look over at to Itachi's receding form. But I would rather be out here than in there—with **_him_**. I sigh, cuddling myself into a ball on the ground.

This is impossible; I will never ever get his respect. He's just getting sadistic pleasure out of this. If I ever get out of here with my life, what good will it do me? If he remains true to his word…will this even matter to me anymore?

I sigh. He's making me feel emotions I've never felt before. He's making me think of things I've never thought of before. He's making me doubt myself, my clan, my purpose. A twig cracks somewhere behind me and I squeeze my eyes closed. He has reduced me to this—to cuddling myself, alone in the woods, afraid of anything and everything.

I feel exhaustion and stress getting to me, blackness slowly entering my vision. I let sleep take its hold on me, pushing me into a state of being I'd never been before—a dream. Much specifically, though…a nightmare.

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A/N: Sorry for the miserably short update. The next one will be much longer-I promise! I had to get this off of my chest before studying for my global regents that is in less than two hours. Funnn. haha.

Special thanks to Lucretcia Cousland who brought about the writing of this chapter.


	7. Seven

Special hugs to **booberry123** and **melioko** for their super quick reviews!

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**Mayakashi: **

_やかし _

_deception; make-believe; fake; counterfeit; phony._

_**I **_jump awake, gasping for air. That was so real. I grasp around in the dark, searching for anything to grab on to. Apprehensive, I sit motionless, searching for something trying to do me harm. Nothing—my eyes slowly adjust to the dark. That's when I notice I am in Itach—my room. It is dark, but the sun is beginning to rise. I search the room with my bare eyes, finding no one.

When was I brought back in here? I wondered as I slowly stood. Seeing that the Uchiha is not in here watching my every move…I look to the bathroom that is right through a door to the side…I'm going to get some solace. Yes, I find peace in taking a shower—a warm shower. I shut the door and practically rip of my clothes. When the water touches my skin I shiver, goose bumps appearing on my skin. I look up to the shower head and pull my hands through my hair. I then open my eyes and notice a bottle of shampoo next to it. I pull it down, inspecting it. It's neither something excessively fruity…nor something "incredibly manly." I bring the bottle to my nose, smelling it. It simply smells like…like…cleanness.

I have a vague inkling that this is the same shampoo that the Uchiha uses…I think as I look at it, loathing it for the reason. I am about to waive it off when I decide that it will at least be better than staying squalid for who knows how long. So I massaged the shampoo into my hair, feeling quite blithe and stately. After finishing washing, I turned off the water and found a towel inside of a cabinet. I began drying. Then I notice all I have are my somber excuse of clothes that I have been wearing for who knows how long. A pair of dark pants, a dark shirt with sleeves that end at the shoulders, dark ninja sandals that reach up just before my knee, and a grey vest.

I sigh, putting them into the shower and cleaning them as best I can. Then I sat there, letting them dry. I miss my good hygiene. After they dry, I pull them back on. I open the door and go to the room. Having nothing to do, I plop myself on the bed. It's been forever since I haven't had something to do, I muse. Uchiha is always beating me out near those woods. The door creaks open, and I nearly leap out of my skin. Itachi stands there, having discarded his cloak. He is wearing a black shirt with mesh around the collar, black pants, and those black ninja sandals.

I force myself up, so that the bed is a sort of barrier between us. "Kawatta." My eyes dart to his against my will.

"Hai?" I say tentatively.

"Woods. Now."

"Ah—hai," I say as I wait for him to turn and exit the room. He does not so I slowly make my way to him. Then he begins exiting the room. I let out a breath, glad that I did not need to walk too close to him. We walk to the field and I step into a stance quickly. Itachi disappears and I have just enough time to put my arms in front of my face. Not good enough, I tell myself. I fly backwards but dig my feet into the ground, stopping myself from injuring myself further. But then weapons come flying at me.

I suck in a deep breath and duck to the ground, performing a kick high into the air in a circular motion. The move caused the weapons to fall before hitting their intended target—me. Unexpectedly, a large fire ball starts coming my way. I dive roll out of the way and stand just in time to scoot out of the way of a kick. And the next thing I know, I'm on the ground; Uchiha standing above me with a katana to my throat. Argh, I give up! I can't win!

"Now what?" the Uchiha's dark voice inquires. I look up, careful not to look into his eyes. I do not want to go **_there_** again.

"Am I allowed the use of my hands?" I ask and his look alone tells me my answer. Damn. What is even feasible in this position? If I had my hands I could perform a substitution technique. So no jutsus…I think as I contemplate. After a few seconds I look up to meet the Uchiha's eyes. Thank kami they weren't red—sharingan was it? I lift my right foot and swing it around in a clockwise motion, knocking away the katana that threatened slicing my windpipe. Then I bring my hands to form handsigns. Tiger…boar…ox…dog..ser—

My replacement jutsu is cut short by a katana being buried into my left shoulder. "Fu…nghhk," I say biting my lower lip, stopping a curse and a vociferous scream. The fuck! I look to the Uchiha who is holding the katana in place—a look of apathy on his face. I moan, an unattractive almost growl. I'm not going to be able to make hand signs for a while, I think as I inspect it. Then my eyes go back to the Uchiha, glaring daggers at him and showing my animosity towards him.

"I disallowed you the use of your hands," he says nonchalant. "You disobeyed." He pulls the katana out of my shoulder and I gasp. I begin to repeat string of curses in my head. My right hand goes to my shoulder as I apply pressure to the wound. To think I thought I got bad blood loss from using dokusho, I groan. The world around me becomes hazy and unclear, but I make myself stand. I turn and face Uchiha who still holds the bloodied katana in his hand.

"I have a knack for that when it comes to you," I mumble over to him, not sure if he hears it. Until, of course, his eyes darken. I pull my right hand from my injured soldier and bring it closer to my chakra form. The one good thing from being stabbed is that I now have a rush of adrenaline. That will speed things up. And away I go—Ox, monkey, hare, rat, boar, bird, ox, horse, bird, rat, tiger, dog, tiger, serpent, ox, ram, serpent, boar, ram, rat, ninth, monkey, bird, dragon, bird, ox, horse, ram, tiger, serpent, rat monkey, hare, boar, dragon, ram, rat, ox, monkey, bird, ninth, rat, ram…bird.

Somehow I pull the jutsu off without the Uchiha stopping me. I think he thought I wasn't able to do it with only one hand. Hah! At least I had something up my sleeve…which is no good now that he knows. Itachi moves away last minute, avoiding most of the water dragon. Specks enter my vision and I wiggle the fingers on my right hand to keep them from going numb.

A fire ball comes my way and I twist out of the way, barely missing being burnt to a crisp. A strong hand grips my throat and I feel my feet being lifted off the ground. I look down at him, the question showing obviously in my eyes. Why? Why do you do all of this to me? Why do you want me to be a hollow shell of myself?...do you really loathe me that much?

"You need to be broken." I was expecting no answer. Broken? Like some…horse…? Then everything goes blank. Which makes sense because a) I had gaping whole in my shoulder b) I needed more oxygen c) there was a hand around my only source of air. Thus, the wound in my shoulder was causing my body to try to replace the blood, which was causing my lungs to move faster to get oxygen to the more blood, which was unavailable due to the callused hand around my throat.

* * *

I awake to find myself in Dr. Otto's small room. Gauze and bandaging is on my shoulder. "You're awake."

"Hai," I reply. I lift myself up slowly and meet Dr. Otto's eyes. Concern is eminent in his eyes and I feel a pang of ache at the thought of the pain I must be causing him. He had taken such a quick liking to me in that fatherly way. It makes me wish he really were my father, I think sadly. No one has ever really cared of my wellbeing.

My father had been chosen as a warrior, and my mother a replicator. After he had finished his life mission—which he would not speak of—he had met my mother. My mother had been searching for some one to replicate with, and my father had been the perfect candidate. He was from a long family line of men and women who had successfully completed their life missions. His line was completely pure, with no disgrace.

When I had been born, they did not care whether I was male or female. Growing up they required only one thing from me: that I never cause any dishonor to my ancestral line. They named me Kawatta…Kurushii, Kawatta. My name meaning "another." Which makes sense now that I look at it, I think somberly. I am just another of the Kurushii clan. Hell, my parents would never have had me if it were not my mother's life mission. However, that is the only home I've ever known. I cannot imagine a different life.

Kami, the Uchiha has made me think very strangely lately. I've never even thought of this before. But...I would never change any of this. I would not be who I am today if not for them, so I am eternally in their debt. I am also in debt to my entire clan. So never will I disgrace them. Never.

I look up at Otto with a new sense of determination. A small smile blossoms on his face. I cannot help but smile back. Itachi Uchiha…I will **_make_** you respect me…even if it's that last thing I ever do!

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A/N: I have my English final tomorrow...and well, I need to memorize 100 vocab words. So that's why there's a bunch of words I don't usually use in this chapter. Please feel free to tell me if I didn't use them properly.

_Peace out, girl scout!_

_ AnimeXisXmyXstyle _


	8. Eight

_To all of my lovely readers and reviewers.._.

(¯`v´¯) ¤✰✰¤

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) ¤✰¤  
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`• ¤✰✰

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**Mayakashi: Chapter Eight**

_やかし_

_deception; make-believe; fake; counterfeit; phony._

_** A**_ long time later—I still have no form of keeping time—I am surprised to find myself in the creepy, dark office of the invisible leader. I awoke earlier to two fully dressed Akatsuki members whom I guessed were Itachi and his partner. In all actuality, though, I have no way of telling. The shorter of the two whom I obviously assumed was Itachi, is standing in front of me alongside of his partner.

I can't help but feel like a little kid that gets told, "We'll tell you when you're older." I am seventeen; I shouldn't feel like I am five. On top of that, members of the Kurushii clan are considered adults when they receive their life missions. So technically speaking, I'm more like twenty-one.

I look over to Itachi again and stifle the temptation of blurting out my questions. What's going on? Why are we in here? Do I have to be here—can I leave? I forget all of my questions when that dark voice speaks and a shiver goes up my spine.

"Hai, Itachi?" The voice says and I shiver in place. I try to hide my nervousness but shinobi are trained to not only smell feel but _feel _fear. There is no doubt in my mind that all three men in the room knew I was nearly shaking in ninja sandals. At least I know that one of the men is Itachi. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

"Our mission," Itachi's velvety voice speaks and I feel another shiver go down my spine—a totally different type of fear than the first. The first was a fear of death but the second…that was much, much worse. With all that he knew about me he could easily torture me and make my life worthless. No one else had that power over me and it made me break into a cold sweat.

"Yes, I have already briefed you on the details and as to the girl…" I work hard to not let my surprise show on my face. Given what I had seen so far, there were no other girls in Akatsuki—not that I am, but you get the idea—so that means he must be talking about me. I stand tall and try to make myself look confident. Secretly, on the inside I am biting the inside of my cheek and my hands are twitching at my sides. It's a good thing the room is dark. "…she may accompany you. If she becomes a threat, dispose of her."

"Hai," Both Kisame and Itachi say. Both bowing before leaving the room, I follow and hurry after them. It becomes silent when we enter the hallway and I feel like I will burst over in questions, but years of control have taught me one thing—control. When we reach the door that Itachi and I go out every day for training, I notice that we are indeed going somewhere. A smile threatens on my face but I quickly bite it back by biting my lip and focusing on the two deadly criminals in front of me. It was easy because both chakras—though highly subdued—were powerful and as deadly as the criminals. I probably could feel their chakras from miles away…but I also probably could feel Itachi`'s from anywhere, given how many times I trained with him. If, of course, one can call it trained after being beaten to a pulp every day.

"Now comes the fun part," Kisame says as he turns around toward me. I instinctively step back and shift into a fighting stance. He smirks, exposing his sharp, shark-like teeth.

"What is coming?" I ask warily.

"If you become a threat, I get to kill you." I shift out of my stance.

"You won't have to worry about that. You should be worrying more about yourself."

"Why is that?"

"Because I don't have to wait till you're a threat.'

* * *

_**H**_ave you ever run ten miles and awakened the next day to have legs of a ninety year old? That is how I felt right now. Minus the fact that we had run far more than ten miles and the running hadn't ended. We just kept going. I have been trying to mask my heavy breathing, but I'm sure both of my companions have realized by now. My clan isn't known for its physical endurance. Like I've said before, my clan thrives on deception and manipulation. We're the shadows in the background that make things happen. We've never needed physical endurance. That is unless you have an Uchiha sensei that sadistically thrives on your weaknesses.

I push more chakra into my legs and refuse to show any form of weakness—at least in any form I can control. _A weakness is a liability to not only you, but your clan. You represent your whole clan and when you fail, the clan fails, when you are weak, the clan is weak. You better not be weak, Kawatta. _I let my father's words replay in my head. My father had trained me along with several other teachers in my clan. Whenever I failed something, he would give me this disappointed look that said that I was letting down my name. He would give me a speech about having pride in my clan, and then send me away like he couldn't stand the sight of me. I do not want that look from Itachi.

I look over jealously at Kisame beside me. He has gotten this far without needing to use chakra. He runs through brute strength. It made me wish I could have some to face Itachi. I look over at him. He too has not needed to exert chakra into his feet and legs to move swiftly. I bite my lip in frustration. Why is it that nothing I do is better than these two missing nins? What do they have that I don't? I want to know so I can get it. _We are a great and respected clan, Kawatta, and we got this way through hard work. What we didn't have, we got. You won't get anywhere helping those lower than you. They will just slow you down; hold you back from your true purpose. _I grit my teeth at the memory. As a young child, I had helped a classmate through a survival exam. In doing so, I got to the finish line second. Word got out and my father chastised me profusely. _The weak are merely stepping stones to be used by the strong._

I look over at my two companions and wonder if they feel the same way. All I really know about them is that they are both missing nins. Kisame was once in a group of great swordsman. He comes from the land of mist and he had a pupil named Suigetsu. He likes anything related to violence and will always choose an outright battle over a sneak attack. It is obvious that Itachi is the brains of the team. Itachi killed his entire clan. Before hand, though, he was heir to being the clan head. It makes me wonder why he killed his clan if he was going to rule them anyway. Wouldn't he prefer to have a highly trained army at his command? I suppose not. I look over to his expressionless face. He is no fool. Everything he does for a reason, even if it's hidden and impossible to see. He never makes a mistake. So why did he do it? I probably will never know.

"Rest," his voice speaks and I quickly move my eyes from his form. I had been staring bashfully at him. "We will rehydrate then continue."

We stop and Kisame offers to fill our canteens, obviously wanting to spend some time in the water. I hope he fills the canteens first. I stand and bend forward, my hands on my hips. I try to slow my racing heart and stop the aching pains in my lungs. I continue to pant and wince at the knife-like pain by my right rib. "It will help if you stand up straight and let your lungs expand." I prop one eye open to look at Itachi.

"I don't care—my sides hurt," I retort. He sits down in front of a tree, not even slightly winded. I feel envious again.

"It will make your sides _not_ hurt," he responded as if he were talking to a four year old that didn't understand. I grit my teeth and plant my feet.

"This feels better." A second later, pain erupts at my ribs and I get pushed back by momentum. I fall onto the ground ungracefully and look up to Itachi, who had just kicked me. I glare daggers at him and huff. He is standing where I stood seconds before and his eyes penetrate my own. He doesn't need to speak for me to know they are mocking me, saying, "Oh, and how do they feel now?"

"You're a jerk," I seethe. He doesn't even bother to respond and moves over to his tree again. He sits back down and lays his head back against the tree, shutting his eyes.

"You're stubborn."

Silence.

"You're evil."

Silence.

"You enjoy torturing me!"

Silence. I grit my teeth again, hot rage pouring through my veins. I stand up and glare down at him.

"And you enjoy violence!" Red eyes suddenly appear in front of my own and I step back, fear shooting freezing needles into my spine. He takes another step toward me and I can't manage to step back again. I'm frozen in pure fear at the shift in him. He changed from calm and composed to angry and…and…dark. Dark, black, and angry. Just how powerful is he really?

"I am a jerk—I hurt people. I am stubborn—persistently so. I am evil—I kill. I enjoy torturing you—I do so often," he says it all so dark and venomously that my pulse quickens and I find myself aching for air again."But I do not _enjoy _violence." His voice never rose above a whisper but that whisper held such power that I felt my knees grow weak and my head get light. He listened to every insult I dished out for him. I shrink beneath his hard gaze and look down at my sandaled feet. I had wanted a reaction from him—any kind—but now I miss the level headed Itachi. I would prefer his calm, emotionless mask over this face of pure rage.

"I'm back!" Kisame says and then notices us in front of him. He looks between Itachi and me and closes his mouth quickly. He can feel how serious he is too. Itachi blinks and his eyes go back to a dark grey. He turns to Kisame and steps away from me. I remember to breathe and gasp in and out quickly, my lungs burning for oxygen. I would prefer running over this—and for once, my wish was answered.

"Rest is over," Itachi says and begins jumping tree to tree again. I look up and grab my side around me, trying to stop the sharp pokes in my lungs. I need a real rest—a rest from _all _of this. I need to go home and lie in my bed, under my cozy covers, and hear the familiar noises of my clan. I push myself to follow Itachi and Kisame. I'm homesick, I realize as I watch their racing backs. I then remember the piece of paper that my life mission was inscribed on.

_Earn the respect of Itachi Uchiha, the sole pure-blood survivor and former heir to the once great Uchiha clan. _I look sadly at his retreating form, easily running faster than me.

I'm never going to earn his respect...

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for it being forever since I've updated this story. **

**I truly enjoy this story and have high hopes for it. I was just having some difficulties over some details and Itachi's personality.**

**Please warn me if he ever goes OOC. **

**Thank you, everyone!**


	9. Nine

I don't own Naruto or its characters. I do own Kurushii, her clan, and its techniques. Do I really need to put a disclaimer up? haha

**_This chapter is dedicated to all the lovely people who reviewed so swiftl_y. **

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**Mayakashi: Chapter Nine**

_やかし_

_deception; make-believe; fake; counterfeit; phony._

**I** drop my body onto the ground, forgetting grace and pretending to be fine. My lungs scream for air and my body starts pumping blood so that the air will reach my body faster. I glance upward at the star filled sky. It shines up there so calm and peaceful, silently watching the earth below it. I glance to my right, at a particularly bright star. It sticks out from the rest with its bright white color with a fading yellow hint. Not a star, a planet—Venus, to be exact. I roll my head to the side so I can watch my two companions. Itachi is again sitting against a tree with closed eyes. I've noticed he tends to do that a lot. Kisame is attempting to start a fire. Why not use ninjutsu? Again, I probably will never know.

Neither of them is even looking up at the sky, I think as I glance back at the speckled black abyss. Where I am from, it is said that the planet Venus is closely associated with the goddess Aphrodite and that the first of a party to notice her beauty will receive a wish. Obviously, it is just a myth that has been told from parent to child. I know that, but I can't help but wish anyway. I wish for Itachi's respect. I want him to notice me for my strengths and for my faults, but respect me anyways. I want him to watch me closely and help me become who I've always wanted to be. I want him to look at me differently than he does to the other members in Akatsuki. I want him to respect me as not just another Kurushii, but as me.

I pause my thoughts to study the sky again. I hope those all counted as one wish. If not, then I have a lot of star gazing to do for the next few weeks. I look over to see that Kisame had indeed started a fire and had also fallen asleep right beside it. For some strange reason, it makes me think of roasted fish. I shrug of the thought and look over Itachi. Is he really sleeping in that position? His head is tilted back and it exposes his strong neck and adam's apple. His masculine face is mostly covered by his onyx colored hair. His sharp cheek bones and dark eyes, terrifying yet mystical, hidden in shadows. Suddenly, his shadowed eyes became clear and dark onyx eyes stare back at me.

"Go to sleep." I stare critically at him. Did I wake him up just by studying him? I look down at the goose bumps on my arms and blink back at Itachi.

"I can't—I'm cold."

"Get closer to the fire," he said as he closes his eyes. It becomes silent for a few moments. His deep black eyes nearly sparkled because of the fire. They remind me of the sky. I would almost call them…well, beautiful. A very feminine compliment for such a manly featured man, yet fitting all the less. I blink a few times and remember that he had spoken. I look over to the dancing flames.

"I don't like fire," I admit to him. He doesn't open his eyes but I can tell he's listening to me. My old words replay in my mind. _I have decided to just be myself and open up a tad bit more to the Uchiha. I need him to trust and respect me._ I watch his form warily. He already knows my greatest fear and he trusting me would help. "It scares me."

The Uchiha does not respond and for a second I think he has fallen asleep. "Hnn," comes a soft voice. It is crazy to believe that the man sitting there is the same man that was so enraged earlier. I pull my arms and legs closer to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs, and curling into a ball.

"Because I like being in control…and if there's something I can't control, it scares me. I'll fight to control that uncontrollable thing, and I almost always win. But it seems the only three things I can't control are my life, fire and you. The three most important things and I am too weak to win them." It becomes silent and I begin to regret what I said. That could be taken wrong—the whole him being an important thing. I hope that he sees nothing in that admittance that was not there.

"There will always be things out of our control. Our mission is to deal with that which we can control," Itachi says as if it were obvious. I suppose it is—to him at least. For me, my whole life is balanced on the things I have no control over. If I were to fail my Jinsei no shimei, I would be marked with dishonor—in the literal meaning. My clan, if you have not noticed, believes in physical signs for things that one cannot see. When people are officially dishonored, they are marked with a pattern of tattoos. The pattern starts on the right hand and goes up the arm, past the shoulder, and just over enough to wrap around the heart. Another odd myth of the clan started it. It says that if your right hand causes you to do wrong, to cut it off. It's supposed to symbolize corruption in the heart.

"Uchiha-sama? Did your clan ever have old traditions that you thought should have stopped long ago?"

"Yes."

"I never do—did," I correct myself, knowing I told the Akatsuki that I had left my clan. "I always did what I was told, never questioning anything. I became known as the girl that never said no—that doesn't sound the way it's meant…" I say awkwardly. "Anyways, I completed all of my missions and soon became quite well-known. Adults looked at me with pride, children looked to me as a role model, boys looked at me with longing, and girls looked at me with jealousy."

"What problem with the authority of your clan caused you to leave?" I bit my lip and roll onto my back again. What could be something big enough to make one leave one's clan? Surely nothing I could think of would be that important. I would never leave my clan. My lower lip quivers as a familiar memory floats into my mind.

"I finally found a mission I couldn't complete. It…it was to assassinate a girl nearly my own age. I had saved her sister years prior during an exam, so she didn't even have her guard up." I lay my arms across my face to hide my shame and the threat of tears. "I stood there frozen for a while. The girl finally noticed me and her big green eyes blinked up at me. Even with the katana in my hand and specialized shinobi gear on, she just smiled up at me. I…I couldn't kill her, not with her looking at me with such admiration. I was her hero, the girl who saved her little sister. I was the hope that the clan could change into something different, something safer and less cruel. I ran away and never looked back." Tears roll down my cheeks and I make sure not to let any sobs or cries out. I was able to kill her. I _did_ kill her. She just smiled at me like I was the center of her universe. Her eyes shined with a certain gleam that said, "I trust you with my life."

"I, too, faced an intricate decision," he says ages later. I can tell by the sound of his voice that he was still uncertain of telling me. I wipe my eyes with the back of my hands and refuse to show the weaknesses that had just fallen from my eyes.

"And what is that Itachi-sama?"

"Itachi-_sensei_," he corrects.

"What was the decision, Itachi-sensei?" It gets quiet and I begin to think he has ignored me or fallen asleep. When he responds, I notice that he truly has never ignored me. He will change the subject, but he has never outright ignored me.

"Whether or not to end the lives of my clansmen."

"Oh," I say awkwardly.

"I was young…"

"Thirteen," I interrupt. His eyes meet mine in a reprimanding look. My eye brows crinkle in confusion. Fine, I won't finish your sentences.

"Eleven."

"What?" I nearly yell. Two years younger than all the records say. He was only a chunin in the Leaf Village at that time.

"I decided when I was eleven," he speaks quietly, as if the trees surrounding us have ears. I look around apprehensively. Maybe they do.

"Then you planned for two years," I muse aloud.

"Yes, all the pieces had to be set in place." I glance back at Itachi and just stare. At eleven years of age, I had my first kill. At eleven years of age, he was planning the kills of his entire clan. A shiver goes down my spine. Again, I wonder just how powerful he really is. He is holding back in training, that much has become clearly obvious in the past few days. He has his chakra suppressed even when we are sparring. Just the full weight of his chakra makes my knees weak—and not in that lovey dovey kind of way.

"Why did you do it?" I gasp out. Suddenly his eyes go hard and his nostalgic face becomes emotionless. I feel my heart sink in my chest. He's back to his emotionless guise. He stands swiftly and turns his back to me.

"Get some rest—I will be scouting the area." With that, his dark form disappears into the night.

"Liar," I mumble to myself. "You just don't want to tell me." I close my eyes and exhaustion from my brutal day pulls me into sleep within seconds. That is why I didn't know of the red eyes in the distance watching my form or the whisper of a reply.

"No, Kawatta. I just can't tell you."

* * *

**A/N: At the end of every chapter I just cross my fingers and pray Itachi stayed in character. haha. **

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**V**


	10. Ten

_Sorry if it seems I have fallen off of the face of the earth. I've been experiencing this horrible thing called _school_. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Mayakashi: Chapter Nine**

_やかし_

_deception; make-believe; fake; counterfeit; phony._

Rain droplets fall from the dark clouds above me and I look up to the dreary sky. It's cold and unlike the two shinobi in front of me, I have neither cloak nor hat to keep the freezing cold drops from hitting my exposed skin. My long brown hair is pulled into a high ponytail but stray strands stick to my face. Goosebumps are arrayed on my pale skin and I rub my arms with my hands to try to warm them.

"We're almost there," Itachi informs me. I doubt Kisame needed informed—his smirk grew a few moments ago as he stared off at the landscape. I can't tell the difference. It all looks like trees to me.

"Where is 'there'?" I ask, pulling up closer to the two Akatsuki members.

"'There' is the Hidden Leaf Village," Kisame says with his evil smirk. I feel a shiver go down my spine. I blow a puff of air out to try to get an annoying strand of hair out of my eyes. It doesn't move and I violently pull it away with my hands.

"It's not very hidden for a Hidden Leaf Village." Kisame laughs beside me.

"No, it really isn't. Come to think of it…practically everyone has heard of it."

"Except me," I state.

"Yeah, except you," Kisame says and abruptly stops.

"What is it?" I say quickly.

"We need disguises. Do you know henge no jutsu?"

"No need," Itachi interrupts. "No one there will know her." They quickly form hand signs. Itachi's long black hair shortens to his ears and turns amber. Kisame shrinks, his blue skin becomes a dark chocolate brown, and his hair shaggy black. I look back and forth between the two and feel a little out of place, being the only one not in a disguise. But as Itachi said: there's no need.

"I'll go scout ahead and meet up with some people from the lightning village. I'll fit in there," Kisame says before sprinting off. Itachi turns to me and I take a step back.

"Kawatta."

"Hai?" I say hesitantly.

"Our mission is to scout the chunin exams which will be going on during this month. You have a solo mission as well." My muscles tense in anticipation. Finally, I'm trusted with a mission. "You must watch over a certain someone and ensure no major harm comes to him, whilst not exposing yourself. Understand?" So I'm babysitting.

"Hai."

"You must speak of this to no one, understand? Not Kisame, not leader, not even to me." I stare up into Itachi's emotionless face, his eyes betraying it and leaking out just a tad of some form of emotion. I can't tell exactly what it is. I might be good at reading people, but Itachi is on another level. But he seems almost…protective?

"Yes, Itachi-sensei, I understand. But who is this someone?" The emotion is gone and he turns away from me, to the path which leads to the main gate of the village.

"Sasuke…Sasuke Uchiha."

"Uchiha?" I blurt out. My question goes unanswered as Itachi begins to run and I am forced to follow, retreating from the subject. So Itachi has a relative still? But didn't he massacre them all? I push my bangs up with my hand. Did he miss one and now wishes to finish the job? I shiver and look at his back, still not used to his amber hair and change of clothes. I have never seen him in anything but his cloak and training clothes. But then again, who's to say if that is his real body or just a henge? So many secrets—so many gaps between my life mission and where I am. So many things I'll probably never know.

* * *

So. Cold.

Itachi and I arrived at the gate and I just stand there as Itachi explains our purpose for being there. "We're here to enter in the chunin exam. We have the necessary papers." Even in disguise, Itachi is as bleak and down to point as he usually is. He shows the papers and the shinobi on guard wave us to go through. Such low security for a shinobi village. We walk into the village and I find myself staring at every detail. The town is so warm and welcoming, who could not feel at home here? Except me, that is. I can't feel all warm and fuzzy here; I'm not on only one mission but two missions. Should I scout the area for this Sasuke Uchiha? I glance at Itachi. He said not to even mention it to him, so how shall I know? I sigh.

"I'm going to go check out the scenery. I'll check back in with you before dark," I tell Itachi and wave as I back away. Nothing passes his face as I go. I guess that means I chose the right thing. Now, to actually find Sasuke. I enter into a sprint on top of the buildings. I'll assume he has the dark hair and eyes Itachi. He may have the Uchiha symbol somewhere on his person, though if I were him I would not. Such a thing would be utterly humiliating—being part of a clan that nearly doesn't exist. My eyes are drawn to the makings of a fight and I jump down into the shadows, not bothering to activate my blood-line limit. I need to spare as much blood as possible.

"Basically I hate midgets…especially younger ones that are rude…makes me want to kill them," A boy with purple face paints and a black pullover outfits on says, a smaller boy with brown hair in his hands.

"Oh well, I'm not involved," A blond girl at the purple faces man's side says.

"You bastard!" A blond haired, blue eyed boy yells as the face-painted one.

"Well, after this one I'll take care of the other annoying midget."

"Hey!" The blond yells. Suddenly, a stone embeds itself into the purple face-painted boy's arm. He drops the brunette and looks up into a nearby tree.

"What are you doing in our village?" An onyx haired boy in the tree asks. My eyes focus in on him, studying the similarities and differences between him and Itachi-sensei. His hair is the same black and his eyes the same grey, but the look in Sasuke's eyes are different. Itachi's are apathetic, but this boy's…his are so full of hidden rage, so obviously full of loathing—but for whom? For the black-suited boy? For his clan? I gasp as a sudden idea enters my thoughts. For Itachi?

The scene in front of me fades from my vision. Itachi did kill the entire clan, did he not? It's rational to think that Sasuke despises him. My thoughts flicker toward Itachi. He asked me to watch over Sasuke, to make sure he doesn't get seriously harmed. It is heart-clenching to think that Sasuke hates the very man who is trying so desperately to protect him.

Why then? Why is Itachi trying to protect his brother? Why did he not kill him that day so many moons ago? Sasuke was the only other survivor and was merely eight years old. There is no way that he could have defended himself against someone, someone as incredibly strong as Itachi. I shiver and goose bumps appear on my skin. The sun is now shining but the wetness of my clothes cool my body temperature. I survey my surroundings and see that the groups of people have dispersed, leaving me crouching alone.

Sasuke Uchiha had, in a way, protected his fellow leaf shinobi against the sand squad. The words of my father ring clear through my head. _You won't get anywhere helping those lower than you. They will just slow you down; hold you back from your true purpose. The weak are merely stepping stones to be used by the strong. _I clench my hands at my sides, my head bent to the ground. Itachi's brother is weak; he helps those who are not as powerful as him, holding himself back from his true potential. Is this what you want me to do, Itachi—to help your brother truly become strong?

I stand from my crouching position and turn to the rising moon. I point my index and middle finger of my right hand to the flat palm of my left hand, placing it in front of my heart.

Itachi-sensei, you have my word; I will protect your little brother's life over my own.

* * *

I find Itachi at a small intersection of streets, leaning against a brick wall. My curiosity peaks. Does he sleep standing up? I've never seen him sleep. I walk over to him, ready to question him on where we will be staying, when he cuts me off with a steady glare. Most who see that glare would think they had angered him. I happen to know it is a warning to think about what you are about to do or say before acting.

"How was your afternoon? You missed a great tour; some of the sites were quite monumental," I say, forcing calm and easiness into my voice.

"I received a letter from our teammate. He will be arriving within two days. He apologizes for the delay." Right to the point as always, Itachi. My eyes dart around me. Is someone watching us? And what teammate—Kisame?

"Rai's two days late already! He better have a good reason for his tardiness." I cross my arms and pop a hip out to the side. I look into Itachi's eyes and pray to Kami that this "teammate" has not already been named.

"Yes, Rai better." A tug of a smirk on the left side of his lip. My arms uncross themselves as I stare in wonder. Is that real amusement or fake?

"I dare say you are mocking me in some form," I say, narrowing my eyes.

"Gentle as always, Nariko*." Gentle child? I'm not a child!

"Nari—just Nari."

"Hnn." Just a grunt, not even a word, I sigh. How would you feel if I started grunting at you?

"Joyful as always, Kaemon*," I say smirking. Itachi's eyes narrow in distaste and he pushes himself off the wall. Hell hath no furry like a woman scorned, and revenge is sweet!

"I'm always cheerful, Nari**ko**. Can you not see the smile on my face?" He says with a deadpan expression as we begin to walk. I did not know that Itachi even knew of sarcasm.

"It must be hidden by the scowl."

"Ah." That still counts as a grunt.

"And the wrinkles—those too."

"I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the long hair." I like the long hair.

"I was just getting there, actually."

"Hnn." That's three now.

A shinobi, with a fox mask covering all of his face but two open wholes for eyes, appears in front of us. I jolt to a stop. This must be who was watching us. "Are you two from the Water Village?"

"Hai," Itachi responds. I shoot a glare his way. At least _one _of us knows the entire plan.

"Please come with me, the Hokage is ready to speak with you about your registration in the chunin exams." My pulse quickens. Have we been found out? Do they suspect? Perhaps we look too old to be taking a chunin exam. I should think of an excuse. The Hokage is serious and if he can't see under Itachi's guise than I don't know who can. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if no one can. He is a master of deception.

"Hai, I have a few questions myself," Itachi responds and runs with the masked shinobi. Are you kidding me? I speed off to catch up to them.

* * *

* **Nariko_: _**Gentle child.

* **Kaemon: **Joyful one.


End file.
